What's going on, NurseChunkBesties? Today we're going to be talking about the ATAT's version 7 science portion of the exam, and we're going to be discussing everything you're going to need to know when it comes to scientific reasoning. Let's get started! The metric system is a standardized method of measurement based on the decimal system, predominantly used in scientific research and practice worldwide. It includes units such as meters when it comes to length, grams when it comes to mass, and liters when it comes to volume, for more precise and uniform measurements across disciplines.
When it comes to the metric system, I want you to remember this mnemonic, King Henry doesn't usually drink cold milk. This phrase helps us remember the order of the metric prefixes, from kilo all the way to milli, relative to the base unit, which can be grams, meters, or liters. At the heart of our mnemonic, symbolized by the word usually, lies our base units that we just discussed. Around this chord, the prefixes indicate whether we're dealing with larger units or we're dealing with smaller units relative to our base unit.
Moving to our right towards our drink cold milk, we encounter smaller units. We have deci, which is just divided by 10. We've got centi, which means we divide our base unit by 100. And we've got milli, meaning we divide our base unit by 1000. Conversely, when we move in the other direction, we have King Henry doesn't. That means we're looking at larger numbers in our base unit.
We have kilo, meaning we're multiplying our base unit by a thousand. Hecto, meaning we're multiplying our base unit by a hundred. And deca, meaning that we're multiplying our base unit by 10. Just like we did during our metric and standard conversion videos, if you haven't done so already, make sure you go back and watch that comprehensive video because we go into great detail about how to convert these numbers using the decimal system, make sure you go back and watch that because you're going to move your decimal place either left or right depending on how you're converting your value.
I'm going to leave a link to that video down in the description below. Something else that the TEAS loves to test on is can you use the appropriate unit of measure in order to measure a specific object. You're going to be tested on length or distance, mass, and volume.
So starting with length, we have a couple different ones that the tease likes to use. First of all, we have the ruler and the ruler is used for measuring short, straight distances, such as length when it comes to a pencil or the width of a book. Rulers commonly measure up to 30 centimeters or 12 inches. Next up, we have our tape measure and our tape measure is a flexible, portable, ideal tool when it comes to measuring longer distances like the length of a door or the length of a room. Tape measures can extend much farther, often up to 25 feet or more.
And lastly for length we have our calipers. And this is a precision instrument used to measure the dimensions of smaller objects, such as the diameter of a ball bearing or the thickness of a piece of sheet metal. Next up we have mass, which is the weight of an object. We begin with our balance scale, and this is a traditional tool in order to compare the mass of two objects. It's useful in environments such as the classroom for educational purposes.
And then of course we have our good old handy dandy digital scale, which is used for obtaining a precise measurement of the mass of an object, such as ingredients when it comes to a recipe or chemicals in a laboratory setting. And if you've ever been to the grocery store, you're probably going to recognize the next one. It is a spring scale, and this measures the mass by determining the weight of an object using the force of gravity.
And then lastly we have volume. And starting with everybody's scientific favorite, we have the graduated cylinder. And it's used in laboratories to measure the volume of liquids with a high degree of accuracy.
It can measure volume from a few milliliters all the way up to several liters. And if any of you are into baking and cooking, then we have the good old measuring cup, which of course is common in those two particular things. Measuring cups are used when it comes to measuring volumes of liquids, as well as bulk solids like flour. and sugar. And then of course we have our pipette.
And this is a precision tool used in chemistry and biology to measure and transfer small amounts of liquids, typically in milliliters or even smaller units. And of course it's important to understand how to scale measurements using the metric system, especially when you're dealing with length, mass, and volume. Here's a guideline for choosing the appropriate metric units for different contexts. Starting with length, we have millimeters. which is best for very small measurements like the thickness of a credit card.
And then we have centimeters, which is ideal for measuring everyday objects, like the width of a notebook. Meters is suitable for measuring larger distances, like the length of a room. And then lastly, kilometers is great when you're measuring geographical distances, such as the distance between two cities. And then next up we have mass and we're going to start with milligrams.
And this is appropriate for very small weights like the mass of a small paperclip. And then we have our base unit grams, which is suitable for measuring small items like a teaspoon of salt. And then lastly, we have kilograms.
You're going to hear this one constantly in health care because we use kilograms to measure larger weights, such as the body weight of a person. And then when it comes to volumes, we have milliliters. which is suitable for smaller volumes, such as the amount of liquid in a medication dropper.
And then of course we have liters, which is commonly used for those more larger liquid quantities like we see with the capacity of a water bottle. And if we have an even larger liquid capacity, we can measure it with kiloliters, which is great when we're measuring swimming pool capacities. Empirical evidence is information that is obtained through observation, experimentation, and other processes of investigation. It is used to support or counter a proposition, hypothesis, claim, or statement.
And of course, anytime we're looking at evidence, the evidence needs to be observable and measurable. This provides the foundation for drawing conclusions that can be objective and repeated. Scientists draw conclusions on empirical evidence by one of three ways.
They could use qualitative, quantitative, or they could use both. So starting with our qualitative data, this is going to involve descriptive or quality type of data. We can find this through the observation of patterns, colors, textures, and even behaviors. This type of data helps researchers understand conditions or phenomena in ways that numbers cannot alone.
And then we have quantitative data, which is our numerical data that is used to quantify variables and compare measurements. This type of data can be found when it comes to length, height, frequency, or quantities, anything that provides you with a number. When it comes to empirical evidence and scientific experiments, variables play a crucial role in determining the structure and reliability of a study. There are three main types of variables. We have independent variables, which researchers manipulate to observe their effects on other variables.
Dependent variables, which are measured to show how they respond to changes with the independent variable. And we have controlled variables, which are conditions that are maintained consistently to ensure that any changes in the dependent variable are directly due to the manipulation of our independent variable. Here's an example of each type of variable in a scientific experiment. In a study to determine the effects of different amounts of sunlight on a plant growth, the independent variable is the amount of sunlight each plant receives.
The researchers can adjust these variables by placing groups of plants in a group of different places. in different kind of conditions, such as we see here with full sun, partial sun, and full shade. Our dependent variable that we're going to see in this study is going to be our plant growth, and this can be measured in terms of height, the number of leaves they produce, or the biomass of the particular plant. This variable depends on how much sunlight each plant receives, making it a dependent variable.
And then lastly with our controlled variable, we can see things like plant soil ensuring that all plants are receiving the same type of soil. We could see water schedule all plants receive the same amount of water at the same frequency. And then we can also see plant species we want to make sure that we're using the same species of plant for all groups to ensure that there's no genetic differences resulting in different outcomes. By controlling these variables researchers can be more confident and any of the differences in plant growth are actually due to that. independent variable being the sunlight and not other factors.
You're also going to hear cause and effect relationships when it comes to the ATITs. The main thing you need to understand is that the relationship centered around one variable that is manipulated, that is our cause, is ultimately going to influence another variable, which is going to be our effect. So our cause is our independent variable and our effect is our dependent variable. In scientific research, reproducibility of results is the cornerstone when it comes to reliability and validity and plays a critical role in building scientific knowledge.
When an experiment yields reproducible results, it means that the experiment, if it were to be repeated under the same conditions, meaning that we use the same sunlight, the same exposure, the same plant species, the same quality of soil, the same watering schedule, we're going to see that the results are going to be consistently similar. For instance, if researchers found that the plants exposed to full sunlight grow 20% taller than those in partial sunlight across several clinical trials, then this result suggests that we have reliable effect of sunlight on plant growth. With reproducibility, not only does it boost confidence in the findings, but it also supports the generalizability of the conclusion across similar conditions. Conversely, non-reproducible results occur when the experiment is repeated under what is believed to be the same conditions, but the outcomes vary significantly. An example of this could be if one experiment shows that plants in full sunlight grow 20% taller, but a subsequent experiment under supposedly identical conditions shows no significant growth difference, this discrepancy could lead to doubts about the reliability of the results and the experimental setup.
Non-reproducible results could stem from overlooked variables like a slight difference in plant age, genetic makeup, even maybe microclimatic climates within the growth environment or inaccuracies of how sunlight exposure is measured or controlled. Previously, we discussed briefly the differences between cause and effect when it comes to our independent and dependent variables. Now we're going to dive deeper into this concept.
So a cause is an event or an action that precipitates an outcome known as our effect. This relationship forms the backbone of logical reasoning and is often signaled by specific keywords in English. Words like since, because, and do typically precede a cause.
For example, since it rained last night, the streets are wet. Since it rained last night is our cause. When it comes to effect indicators, we can see words like consequently, therefore, or this leads to introducing our effect.
So for example, we could have it rained heavily, which is our cause. Therefore, the baseball game was postponed, meaning that is our effect. In addition, many times there's going to be complexities when it comes to the cause and effect relationship.
We could see things like a single cause leading to multiple effects, multiple causes leading to a single effect, or we could even see a cause and effect chain. Let's break each one of these down. Starting with our single cause leading to multiple effects, this is an example where one cause can lead to several different outcomes. So starting with an example, our cause could be that we forgot to turn off the water tap before we left our house. This could lead to multiple effects, meaning that we have a flooded kitchen, we're going to have a really high water bill, and we can even have damage if we have wooden floors.
With multiple causes and a single effect, sometimes the effect can be the result of multiple causes. In this case, our effect could be that Jane is exhausted. Some of the causes that could lead to this effect can include that Jane works long hours, she just got a new puppy at home which is causing her to lose sleep and she could be training for a marathon and lastly we have our cause and effect chain which means that an effect from one scenario can become the cause of another creating a chain of events so let's say our initial cause is that alex studied diligently for his exams the initial effect could be that he scored top marks and then subsequently that second effect could be that those high marks earned him a scholarship The AT&T loves comparing magnitude relationships, and choosing the right scale ensures that the measurement is not only accurate, but it's also meaningful. We're going to start with our physical scale by measuring space and objects.
When measuring a patient, common units that we can include can include meters and millimeters. Meters can be used when it comes to measuring the height of a patient, or we can even use it to measure the length of their arm. Millimeters is used when precision is necessary.
in cases where we're having to measure the diameter of a vein or even the thickness of a tissue layer. Weight and mass items also require us to use careful consideration when it comes to scale. As we talked about before, with kilograms, this is generally used for the overall body weight of a patient, providing a standard way to assess health and nutritional status.
When it comes to gram, this is going to be used for measuring smaller things that need to have more precise measurements, such as the weight of an organ like the human heart. You may also need to measure temporal scales such as time. If you have to measure significant spans of time, then you can use years, months, or days. You can use these in examples like individuals' lifespans, capturing long-term changes, as well as development. When it comes to minutes and seconds, of course this is going to be applied with much shorter, more transient phenomenon such as the rate of breathing or even heartbeats.
Lastly, we're going to finish up with the scientific method, which is a series of steps designed to generate dependable answers to specific questions, and it's more integral in your daily life than you might think. So let's take a look at an example. we probably have all experienced at some point in our life. Imagine that you wake up on a weekend morning and you realize that you can't find your key. This is an initial observation.
You start to think back to the last time that you saw them. That's the research. You start to formulate a hypothesis. Well, I went out last night and I wore my jacket, so they must be in my jacket pocket.
Testing this theory, also known as your experiment, you go to search your jacket pocket and you find that it's empty. When you reevaluate your activities from the previous day, you remember hearing a noise when you hung your jacket up in the closet. With renewed hope, you go and check the closet floor and sure enough, there are your keys. Finding those keys is your conclusion. Relieved, you continue your day and later share the story with your friend and that of course is sharing your results.
Just like that, we've navigated through the entire scientific method without even realizing it. The steps in the scientific method form a cycle that allows for continual refinement as well as learning. As we did, typically when an experiment does not provide you the answers that you're seeking, you revisit each step to adjust your approach. Let's deep dive into each one of these steps to explore their individual components.
Starting with observation, in science they are derived from our five senses. Smell, taste, touch, sight, and hearing. These sensory inputs form the...
basis of scientific observations. Research is a crucial step in the scientific process as it helps us answer preliminary questions and refine our experiment. This ensures that we don't venture down an unproductive path or repeat experiments already conducted.
It's vital that you consult reliable resources for background information, including scientific journals and accredited online databases. Steer clear of unverified blogs and out-of-date textbooks as these may provide unreliable information after completing your research you're ready to formulate your hypothesis which is a specific prediction about what is going to happen next it's typically structured as an if-then statement clearly articulating expected outcomes for example let's consider this hypothesis if bread is left alone in moisture for one week then it will develop mold this statement includes our conditions that's the if part and the expected results, which is our then part. We use these precise terms to ensure that the experiment can be consistently replicated.
The structure of an experiment typically involves several key components, with data collection focusing on both qualitative and quantitative aspects. Qualitative data includes descriptions like rough, blue, dull, and sticky. This type of data provides observational insights. Whereas with quantitative data, This is measured using specific units, like 15 kilograms or 10 liters, giving us numerical data.
Once you determine the type of data you want to collect, then you can define your variables of your experiments. As we discussed before, your independent variable is the element that you're going to manipulate to observe the effect of your dependent variable, which is what you measure. In the moldy bread scenario, the independent variable could be the exposure of the bread to moisture. and the dependent variable would be the presence and the amount of mole growth measured over time.
You can think of the independent variable being your input and your dependent variable being your output for the experiment. A valid experiment includes both an experimental group where the independent variable is modified and a control group which serves as the benchmark for comparison against normal and unchanged conditions. The control group often receives a placebo. to ensure that the effects observed in the experimental group can be attributed to the treatment under investigation rather than other factors. This really helps maintain the integrity when it comes to the experiment by providing a baseline for comparison with true impact on the intervention itself.
For instance, in the experiment involving bread and mold growth, the slices exposed to moisture would be our experimental group, and the slices that are kept dry would serve as our control group. representing the typical state of bread. In summary, every experiment should feature an experimental group that undergoes the change in the independent variable in a control group to provide its baseline.
And the data that you collect should be qualitative, quantitative, or a combination of both. Next up we have our conclusion. And our conclusion is the critical step in our scientific method where researchers interpret the data collected by the experiment.
This involves assessing whether the results support the original hypothesis or there's going to be some required revision to that hypothesis based on the findings. The conclusion integrates all observation and data to provide a clear answer to the research question. And then last up, we have sharing the results.
After we have reached that conclusion, scientists are going to want to share their findings with the scientific communities. They can do this through the use of peer-reviewed journals, presenting at conferences, or even listing them in accredited databases. Sharing results is essential for advanced knowledge, receiving feedback, and also allowing others to replicate the experiment, thus validating their results.
And lastly, we have repetition and verification. Scientific experiments are going to need to be repeated to ensure that there is both reliability and accuracy. Repetition helps verify the results by observing whether the same outcomes can occur, under the same conditions in subsequent experiments. Continuous testing and validation are fundamental aspects when it comes to the scientific process.
This will help us refine theories and contribute to a deeper understanding of the phenomenon under study. I hope that this video was helpful in understanding everything you're going to need to know when it comes to scientific reasoning for the T's. As always, if you have any questions, make sure that you leave them down below.
I love answering your questions. head over to nursechungstore.com where there's a ton of additional resources in order to help you ace those atits exams and as always i'm going to catch you in the next video